Police have arrested a 51-year-old man on suspicion of murder after a hit-and-run collision in Essex left a child dead and four teenagers injured.
Police were called to Debden Park High School in the town of Loughton at around 3.20pm on Monday following reports that a car had mounted the pavement and “deliberately” hit a crowd of students and parents standing near the school gates, The Telegraph says.
A 12-year-old boy identified as Harley Watson died from his injuries in hospital shortly after the crash. Two 15-year-old boys, a 13-year-old boy, a 16-year-old girl and a 23-year-old woman were also hurt, but their injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.
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According to witnesses, the vehicle that hit the group, a silver Ford Ka, drove off afterwards. Police subsequently “took the step of naming Terry Glover, 51, as someone they wanted to speak to” in connection with the incident, the BBC reports.
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The force later confirmed that a male suspect had been stopped and arrested by police on suspicion of murder, six counts of attempted murder and one of causing death by dangerous driving. He also faces charges of causing serious injury by driving, failing to stop at the scene of a collision and driving without insurance.
Chief Superintendent Tracey Harman told reporters yesterday evening: “We believe that the collision was deliberate and as such we have launched a murder investigation.”
Helen Gascoyne, the school's head, said the community is “devastated” by the death of one of its students.
“It is with great sadness that we must report that a 12-year-old student from our school has sadly died,” she said. “Our thoughts are with the family and all those affected. The school will be open tomorrow with a number of counsellors on hand to support our community.”
Detective Chief Inspector Rob Kirby, of the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate, called the crash “truly shocking” and appealed for anyone with information or dash-cam footage of the incident to come forward.
“I would like to thank the many members of the public who have called us with information and spoken to our officers, as well as those who provided crucial medical assistance at the scene,” he added.
